Driving in Japan

I never had any interest in learning to drive when growing up in Australia, but once I moved to Japan and got into hiking, I realised I was going to need to be able to drive to get to some of the mountains on the hyakumeizan list.

I spent a couple of months attending driving school, passed all my exams on the first try (and in Japanese, which I’m pretty proud of) and then bought my first ever car, a Suzuki Jimny Sierra.

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  Car camping in Japan: sleeping in my Suzuki Jimny

  I've owned my Suzuki Jimny Sierra for a little over a year now. The front and back seats can lie flat, which makes it perfect for sleeping in. This comes in handy if I'm making a drive to a mountain that's a bit too far away to do as a day hike.

  Updated 15 Apr 2025
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  Can you fit a snowboard in a Jimny?

  The answer is yes. If you're driving alone, you can easily put your board in after collapsing the passenger seat. If you still want the front passenger seat up, you can fit it in between the two front seats. You'll have to remove the bindings though.

  Updated 2 Mar 2025
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  Dealing with traffic on the Chuo expressway

  Most of my driving in Tokyo is usually to get out of it, to some far away mountain.

  Updated 22 Feb 2025
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  Driving in Japan: general tips

  I got my driver's license at the end of 2023 in Japan. I've since racked up over 14,000km on my car, thanks to a lot of early morning drives to the mountains.

  Updated 22 Feb 2025